CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 1 of 38

Doing what you love in the age of AI

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Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

– from the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann (1927)

When my children were small, something shocking happened at the seaside playground we used to frequent. The place had a little cafe which got carefully locked up every night, with staff diligently bolting the metal shutters to the counter and double-locking the door. But one morning the manager came in to discover that thieves had taken a drill to the side of the building during the night and extracted the entire safe through the gaping hole. That’s kind of how it felt to find out about Meta’s great book heist, which I am sure you have heard about by now. According to this investigation by The Atlantic, Meta has reportedly downloaded millions of books (including ten editions of mine) from pirate database LibSyn and used them to train AI. Suddenly I could see that we have all been faffing around worrying about whether AI-generated e-books are going to affect the traditional publishing world and all the while Meta was out with its giant drill stealing all the existing books through a hole in the back of the library.

As someone who has spent countless hours (actually, years) and sacrificed many things to bring my books into the world, part of me is of course as upset about this as anyone, and wants appropriate action to be taken. To that end I have followed the advice of the trade unions, signed the petition and stand in solidarity with fellow my authors and academics. (See below for advice from the Society of Authors and Authors Guild)

However, another part of me is fascinated by the speed at which things are being disrupted and deeply curious about what the AI age might mean in terms of new possibilities for all of us, and how it might take some of the mundane stuff off our plates so we can focus on the issues that really matter.

That curious, hopeful part of me is the part which is writing to you today.

To be honest, as an author I feel pressure to be anti-AI. Of course I am as outraged as anyone else about the blatant piracy and use of our published books, and I have no intention of using AI to generate any of my creative works (other than where AI is automatically integrated into research tools). I also understand that many, many jobs are threatened by the rapidly developing technologies of our time which include AI, and I am aware of the real impact that will have on many lives. In the weeks I have been working on this essay, The Guardian-Observer newspaper has closed, H&M has announced the use of digital clones of models in its ads, and I overheard a cameraman at my local coffee shop talking about how the television industry is on its knees. This is heartbreaking. There are also huge environmental concerns relating to the proliferation of AI, and I for one won’t be wasting water and energy generating a doll image of myself anytime soon.

But I am also founder of an organisation called Do What You Love and I have spent the past fifteen years encouraging people to make the most of emerging opportunities in the face of disruptive change, to not wait for authority to tell them what to do next, and to be brave enough to choose the unconventional path, if that is right for them. This has never felt so essential.

To be hopeful in the face of rapid change is a radical act, which takes courage but opens your eyes to opportunities that only exist right now.

Click here to continue reading the rest of this essay (including journal notes to prompt your own thinking on this topic)…

There you are. We have been waiting for you.

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True belonging. Year-round inspiration. Extraordinary value. This is what awaits you in SoulCircle.

This is your invitation to join one of the most beautiful writing communities on the planet. Hosted by me, bestselling author Beth Kempton, SoulCircle is an intimate gathering of writers (of all levels) from across the world. We share weekly writing inspiration (Journal Notes penned by me in your inbox every Monday), and gather regularly for magical Live Writing Circles, Q&A and more.

The SoulCircle offering

I wanted to share some exciting news about what you can look forward to in SoulCircle in the coming year (all included in your paid subscription):

  • Complimentary access to SALT + SKY (A brand new virtual day retreat to help you go deep on a particular writing project – This will take place in July and everything will be available on replay. Details to follow soon)
  • Complimentary access to MY SUMMER OF SUBSTACK, a leisurely stroll through seven weeks of Substack essay writing, together (To take place in SoulCircle in July-August. Details to follow soon)
  • Complimentary access to THE SOUL CIRCLE SESSIONS – these are guest workshops from extraordinary teachers – including some of the writers who have most deeply influenced my own work (starting in the autumn)
  • Bi-weekly Live Writing Circles, every 6-7 weeks throughout the year
  • My Weekly Journal Notes – Gentle writing invitations in your inbox every Monday all year round
  • Quarterly Live Q&A
  • Year-round access to our private chat space for friendly encouragement and a chance to share your work
  • Plus a host of other bonuses I am developing as a result of our recent member survey

Why SoulCircle is special

SoulCircle is different from other writing communities for a number of reasons:

  • It’s personal. Everything in SoulCircle is carefully curated by me, for you.
  • It’s quiet and cosy, yet deeply inspiring. SoulCircle is not a vast, noisy space with lots of distracting things going on. Rather, it is a gentle, welcoming space for people who love words. It feels a bit like writing by candlelight. Once you join, it becomes part of your ritual and rhythm.
  • It’s always encouraging. There is no critique in SoulCircle (just as there is no critique in any of my classes). I believe it is more important that you learn how to evaluate and beautify your own writing, than it is to thicken your skin to handle the opinions of others. This might be counterintuitive in a world where writing communities tend to be all about critique, but believe me, it changes everything.
  • There is nothing you have to do or achieve. There are no wordcounts. There are no deadlines. There is no ‘tough love’, only love. There are invitations and offerings, but everything is optional.
  • It’s always there for you. SoulCircle offers year-round, gentle support. May it become the heartbeat of your writing life.
  • It’s extraordinary value. All SoulCircle subscriptions are used to create resources to support writers, so I am able to offer incredible value at a very accessible price. (A year’s worth of SoulCircle content would be worth over £600 if sold individually)

Every penny of your subscription goes towards developing resources to support writers all over the world.

Who we are

SoulCircle is a beautiful, diverse mix of writers of all levels and backgrounds from across the world. A recent members’ survey showed that 10% of us are published authors, 25% are currently writing books (and more than half of us have a book dream), 60% of us write on Substack, 60% write poetry, and almost all of us mostly write because of how it makes us feel.

Members say they love SoulCircle because of the way the weekly inspiration keeps them connected to their writing, the like belonging to the community and connect with other writers, they adore the Live Writing Circles and are grateful for the chance to practice bravery in sharing their work (something which is always optional)

SoulCircle is led by me, Beth Kempton, author of six non-fiction books, writing teacher and encouraging mentor.

We have been waiting for you. You belong here. I hope you will join us and make a real commitment to your writing life. CLICK HERE to join, and get a lovely generous discount on an annual subscription.

Much love,

Beth Xx

 

Images: Holly Bobbins Photography

The Way of the Fearless Writer is now out in the US/Canada! (includes an exclusive bonus Q&A)

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The Way of the Fearless Writer is now out in the US and Canada and it might just change your writing life…

As it says on the back…

Join author and Japanologist Beth Kempton on a sacred journey to uncover the secrets of fearless writing which have lain buried in Eastern philosophy for two thousand years.

In a radical departure from standard advice and widely-held assumptions about the effort and suffering required for creative success, The Way of the Fearless Writer will show you there is another way to thrive – a path of trust, ease, freedom and joy.

Learn how to free your mind so your body can create, transform your relationship with fear, dissolve self-doubt, shift writer’s block, access your true voice and bravely share your words with the world.

This profound book reveals the deep connections between mind, body, spirit, breath and words. Offering a rare insight into the writing life and a host of fresh and original exercises, it will open your eyes to writing as a direct connection to life itself.

I hope you will read it and love it, and that it inspires many words to flow from deep within. You are a writer and the world needs your medicine.

Beth Xx

PS You can hear me reading a snippet of it here.

Introducing the ‘Breathe Write Repeat’ virtual writing retreat

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Designed to be flexible around your schedule – this virtual writing retreat works for a two-day experience, for a long weekend or even a full week. You just book the time away anywhere you choose – or the time at home with an empty house – and I bring everything else.

Breathe Write Repeat includes everything you need to prepare before you go, and a flexible and varied programme of inspiring guidance from me, author Beth Kempton, to carry you through it while you are there. No more procrastination. Just hours of blissful writing.

This virtual writing retreat will support your practice whether you want to go deep on a particular project, or just show up and see what comes.

All you need to do is commit the time, sign up, pack your bags and breathe, write, repeat.

You’ll be astonished at what spills out onto the page.

HOW IT WORKS

You can register today and you will then be able to ‘go on retreat’ anytime until October 31, 2026, at your own convenience. You will need to book your own accommodation (or politely request that everyone in your house leaves you in peace) and then Breathe Write Repeat will offer all the content you need.

IMPORTANT NOTE

This is a VIRTUAL retreat so we offer everything you need for a short writing retreat, except for accommodation and food! You can do this from anywhere – rent an airbnb for the weekend or do it from home. It’s completely flexible and up to you.

SOUND LIKE EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED?

Book your spot HERE now 

GOT A QUESTION?

Just email us at learning [at] dowhatyouloveforlife.com and we will be happy to advise whether this is a good fit for you.

From one writer to another (yes, I’m talking to YOU)

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Oh hello there, do come in.

I may look like I’m just sitting here, pen in hand scribbling in my notebook, but I’m not. I am actually perched with my feet on the moon, watching the world at play beneath me. Did you know I can make those people fall in love and those people fight? Oh yes. I can give that man courage and that child a new friend. I can despair at the state of the world, or try to make sense of it. I can reach into the hearts of other people and make them feel less alone.

Now I am flying across time zones and centuries, guided by the wind, my way lit by the stars. I am woman, I am bird. I am the wild shadow of sorrow and the fragrant flower of life. I am hope, I am memory. I am time itself.

Maybe later today I will carve poetry into the riven bark of the weeping willow in the garden of my childhood home. I might go to the shore, smash my hurt on the rocks and watch my tears become the ocean. Perhaps I will sleep in the forest and wake to a world of talking animals. I might gather with others around a fire telling stories of seeds and bones buried deep – or fill ancient caves with laughter and song. Or I might just be here, quietly at my desk, sipping tea, waiting for the sun to rise.

This is the writing life.

Sounds pretty special, right? It can be. But before you cast this book aside thinking that it’s all right for me but you have family obligations, an exhausting job and self-doubt you wear strung around your neck like a favourite scarf, let me tell you a few things about myself. I didn’t have a book published until the year I turned 40. I have two small children, run my own business, and I have carried so much self-doubt that I’m still amazed that my words have made it to the printed page. Until my first book, Freedom Seeker, came out, my work kept me behind the scenes, and I was wholly unsure about stepping in front of the curtain to share personal stories with the world. But the book demanded to be written, so I had to find a way.

It has taken me several years to realise that it wasn’t just a way, it was a Way: the Way of the Fearless Writer. And I want to share it with you, because it changed my writing life, and it might just change yours.

So I turned it into a book which the lovely folks at London Writers’ Salon said is ”more than just a book, it’s a way of life”. And that book is out now. The Way of the Fearless Writer: Ancient Eastern wisdom for a flourishing writing life was published this week and it has been such a joy to see so many people finding a quiet spot with a lovely cuppa and sitting down to read (and write).

If you don’t have a copy yet, I hope you will get one, and lose all sense of time as you dive into my stories, and then into your own.

Thank you to every single person who has bought a copy, sent me a message about it, and opened up to all it has to offer. I am so grateful for you and so excited for you, because I know it might just change everything.

Have a lovely weekend
Beth Xx

 

PS This was sent as a newsletter to my lovely mailing list subscribers. If you’d like to get love letters in your inbox from me from time to time, just hop on the list.

Photos: Holly Bobbins Photography

Read this before you open any Black Friday emails❤️

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“My hut lies in the middle of a dense forest;
Every year the green ivy grows longer.
No news of the affairs of men,
Only the occasional song of a woodcutter.
The sun shines and I mend my robe;
When the moon comes out I read Buddhist poems.
I have nothing to report, my friends.
If you want to find the meaning, stop chasing after so many things.”

– Ryokan Taigu in ‘One Robe, One Bowl’, a collection of poems written two centuries ago and translated by John Stevens

Hi friend,
I have been reading this today half way up a mountain, thinking about all the things we keep on chasing and wondering why we do that, and realising these questions are always much easier to ask half way up a mountain…
As Black Friday arrives in full force this week, I am asking myself these three questions – feel free to help yourself to them too:
  1. What is calling you?
  2. What kind of a world do you want to live in?
  3. What investment, if any, do you need to make to play a role in creating that kind of world, through whatever is calling you?
Asking myself these questions then leads me to ‘How can you use the huge opportunity of discounts on pretty much everything to answer that call – to invest in yourself, support a small business or cause you care about, or take a step towards something new – not just chasing something but going deeper on something?’
Black Friday is noisy and distracting and produces horrendous amounts of waste when we buy stuff we don’t need BUT it’s also a fantastic opportunity to get things that will actually make a difference, at a big discount. So I am trying to walk the middle line, not getting sucked in but also not turning away completely, in case there are ways it can help me in my answers to those questions. Perhaps you might like to do the same?
If you want to go further with this, help yourself to my free reflection and planning tool ‘My Perfectly Imperfect 2023 Digital Planner’ – this is something I offer every year and if you haven’t downloaded yours yet, you can get it for free HERE.
And if any of your questions lead you towards wanting to make a change in your life, get organised, develop a nourishing writing practice, write a book or start teaching online, then feel free to take advantage of my Black Friday sale with up to 50% off all my life-changing courses over at dowhatyouloveforlife.com. Just sayin’ 🙂
Beth Xx

The Fearless Writer Podcast with Beth Kempton is here!

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The Fearless Writer Podcast is out now – Season One is all about freeing the words within. I will be chatting about the things we don’t usually talk about when it comes to writing – including the importance of wildness, surrender, and trust.

I hope it will help you write fearlessly, and with joy, and build a writing practice that nourishes you for the rest of your life. Bring a notebook and pen because we have a new writing exercise to do together every week.

Episodes 0 (intro) and 1 (Quietening) are available now, and there will be new episodes every Tuesday until the end of the year. You can tune in now on Spotify, Amazon Music or here on my website. (It is taking a while to feed through to Apple but should be there soon) Enjoy!

Beth Xx

PS This podcast is a companion to my book The Way of the Fearless Writer: Ancient Eastern wisdom for a flourishing writing life, which is out now!

 

OUT NOW! My new book ‘The Way of the Fearless Writer’ is here…

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As it says on the back…

A revolutionary approach to writing inspired by ancient Eastern wisdom, from the bestselling author of Wabi Sabi

Join author and Japanologist Beth Kempton on a sacred journey to uncover the secrets of fearless writing which have lain buried in Eastern philosophy for two thousand years.

In a radical departure from standard advice and widely-held assumptions about the effort and suffering required for creative success, The Way of the Fearless Writer will show you there is another way to thrive – a path of trust, ease, freedom and joy.

Learn how to free your mind so your body can create, transform your relationship with fear, dissolve self-doubt, shift writer’s block, access your true voice and bravely share your words with the world.

This profound book reveals the deep connections between mind, body, spirit, breath and words. Offering a rare insight into the writing life and a host of fresh and original exercises, it will open your eyes to writing as a direct connection to life itself.

The Way of the Fearless Writer: Ancient Eastern wisdom for a flourishing writing life is out today! I hope you will read it and love it, and that it inspires many words to flow from deep within. You are a writer and the world needs your medicine.

Beth Xx

PS You can hear me reading a snippet of it here.

I did the thing I thought I couldn’t do, and here’s how it turned out… ❤️ (Hint: It involves songwriting!)

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I can’t quite believe this day is here. I did the thing I thought I couldn’t do, and ‘The River’ – the song that I co-wrote with awardwinning singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls – is out in the world today! (Listen now on iTunes / Spotify / Youtube etc). Read on if you want to find out what this extraordinary experience felt like.

‘So what do you want to write a song about?’ Danni’s face beamed out of my laptop. ‘I’m not sure really. Life. Time. The detail and the vastness. The not knowing. The wanting to know. The not needing to know.’ Danni Nicholls is a professional singer–songwriter who generously agreed to co-write a song with me, as a fearless writing test. When I began to think about this book, I pondered what would be the most challenging writing experience I could imagine, and that was it. I love music, but I am not musical, so songwriting seemed out of reach, and co- writing sounded even harder, because it would involve spilling unpolished liquid words onto the ground in front of another human being.

‘And how do you feel about doing this?’ Danni asked.

‘I’m terrified,’ I answered, before I had the time to check in with myself and see how I was really feeling. When I did that I realised that actually, I wasn’t terrified at all. I was unsure of how it would work out, so I was a little nervous. I felt vulnerable knowing that I would have no room to edit the words that came out of my mouth before Danni caught them and wove them in with her own. But the overriding feeling was actually one of excitement.

During those three hours of co- writing The River with Danni, I had a strange sense that the song was materialising in the space between us, as if our separateness had dissolved at the edges to make room for it. We often talk of writing as a solitary pursuit, but actually, whether our co- creator is a singer–songwriter with Americana vibes or the creative energy of the universe itself, we are never alone in our work.

This reminds me of a commentary on the collaborative Japanese poetry genre, renga, in which alternating verses are linked by successive poets. Writing about this poetry form, Kyoto University professor Tadashi Ogawa said:

The essential basics of renga lie in both self-abandonment and the participation in za, which is ‘the opening place’ belonging neither to one’s self nor to that of the others. In short, what matters most is to abandon the ‘funk hole’ or ‘dugout’ of the self and enter into the ocean of a shared life with others.3

This was exactly what we had to do in order to co- write the song, and what we have to do as individual writers in order to co- create with the energy of the universe.

The River is OUT TODAY! You can listen on iTunes / Spotify / YouTube etc. If you like it, please share it with your friends!

And if you want to write the things you thought you could not write, I really encourage you to get a copy of my brand new book The Way of the Fearless Writer which is OUT ON THURSDAY! Remember, if you pre-order your copy, you can get FREE access to my brand new writing class Autumn Light which starts on October 17. Just order from any retailer, then fill in this short form. (If you have already done this, thank you! I will be in touch on publication day with details of how to access the class.

Be fearless! The world needs your medicine, my friend.

Beth Xx

PS This was sent out as my personal newsletter. If you’d like to get inspiration into your inbox from time to time, just hop on the list!

Come and join my #tinyautumnpoem ten minute poetry challenge – starts today

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Four times a year I do a fun little poetry challenge on Instagram @bethkempton. It’s very simple. I post a one word prompt with a picture each day, and you get ten minutes to write a tiny poem, ideally with no editing. It’s a fun way to get into the rhythm of writing things without them having to become something big. It’s free and open to everyone – just hop over to my Instagram and look for the daily prompt (it usually goes live around 9.15am). The #tinyautumnpoem challenge runs for 10 days from today (October 1-10). Enjoy!

Beth Xx